This is an “off” week for cars in the Mad Men series. Don Draper and his advertising-firm colleagues made no mention of the Chevrolet account or the new car they are tasked with promoting. But there was one decent automotive scene, and it got me thinking about the reality of the compact-car market in the late 1960s.

When Don stopped for gas at a rural filling station he stepped out of his Cadillac Coupe De Ville with an upper-crust confidence that seemed to confirm he and the huge, flashy ride belonged together. He runs into his ex-wife Betty at the station, and she’s driving a ’65 (or maybe a ’66) Ford Country Squire wagon. While not exactly fancy, Betty’s car is worthy of the Preppy Handbook.

It has been difficult to predict lately whether episodes of AMC’s “Mad Men” will cater to car fans. Ever since the show’s fictional advertising firm began working for Chevrolet, the car themes have seemed to be one week and off the next.

However, in last week’s installment ad whiz Don Draper said he had big ideas for promoting Chevy’s “secret” XP-887, which in real life was the prototype that developed into the Vega compact car. And I like to think audiences will find out more about those ideas during this week’s show. Perhaps we’ll see the car, or at least a few sketches of proposed commercials.

Car people might see the latest automotive plot in AMC’s “Mad Men” as tragedy, or at least dark comedy. But it might be closer to epic.

In the last episode Don Draper is trying to land an account with Chevrolet to promote its next “top-secret car,” the XP-887. Serious car nerds — or anyone with an internet connection and the will to use it – recognize that as the name of a real-world prototype that became the Chevy Vega compact car.

Though named for a bright star, the Vega fell far short of stellar in just about every mechanically measure.

For a number of reasons I haven't watched much of 'Mad Men' since the AMC show's first season. The culture, fashion and even the music of the 1960s have never held particular fascination for me. I like my slacks to break a bit and when pressed I'll usually choose 1970s disco over British Invasion.

But the decade's cars are another story. The long, wide, perfectly chrome-accented designs the then-dominant U.S. car makers were turning out still look wonderful today. But many are so rare that you might have a better chance of spotting them during tonight's two-hour premiere of the hit series than ever seeing them on the road.